Bicycle Safety Concerns in Dallas - Fort Worth Area

There are several kinds of bicycle accidents that occur regularly that are important for cyclists to be aware of. Be aware of these particular riding situations to help protect yourself from potential bike accidents:

Cars Pulling Out From A Side Street or Parking Lot
The single most common type of bike accident occurs when cars pull out of a side street or parking lot right into an oncoming bicyclist. Studies have proven that car, truck and bus drivers look to the middle of the street for oncoming traffic; they simply do not look along the side of the street where most bicyclists ride. Beware of cars at side streets and parking lots. Make sure to look at side street intersections before crossing.

Parked Cars and Car Doors
Drivers almost never look around before they open doors, and one common cause of bike accidents is when drivers unexpectedly open the doors of parked cars and bicycle riders run into the doors. This can leave you with anything from a broken bike and to broken bones and potentially serious injuries. Make sure to ride far enough away from parked cars that doors cannot hit you, and be aware when you are riding past parked cars.
Potential Crosswalk Accidents
Drivers look for pedestrians in the crosswalk, but it often does not occur to drivers that bicycles could be riding down the road toward them when they are about to make a turn. If you are coming up on a crosswalk, look out for any cars turning into the crosswalk area.
Riding Against Traffic
Riding your bicycle against traffic can be seriously dangerous. Cars often don't look for bikes riding the wrong way against traffic; they only look in the direction that traffic is traveling before they pull out. Always beware of traffic when you're riding, and don't ride into oncoming traffic when you can avoid it.
Cars Turning Toward Cyclists
Cars turning right in front of bicyclists are another major cause of bike accidents in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In many cases, drivers look for oncoming traffic before they turn right but it never occurs to them to check their mirrors to see if bicyclists are coming along the side. If you see a car turning right ahead of you, don't assume that they see you - wait until you are sure you can pass, or stop and let the car turn in front of you, to avoid a potential bicycle accident.